Guyana Times Daily August 11 2017

6 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3298

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, August 11, 2017

PRICE

Fatal plane crash at Eteringbang

Pilot made no distress call in final moments – GCAA

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P7 Indian company extends stone expertise to GGMC

Page 3

– investigator on location, number of factors being probed

Mother of 7 crushed to death by moving lorry Page 2

No letting up Page 14

Sweeper-cleaners vow more protests over salary, vacation leave

Minibus P8 driver freed of Nismes fatal accident charge

Youth Parliament Students P16

challenging decisions of policymakers

– Govt side of House wins debate

With no response forthcoming from Government in regard to their plight, schools’ sweeper-cleaners have again taken to the streets to protest what they describe as inhumane treatment from the authorities. They have vowed not to let up their protest actions until someone listens to their plea

GRA promises Shots fired as rigid monitoring gunmen storm of exploration Page GPL’s Mon companies Page 9 5 Repos office – remains committed to oil and gas industry

Another attack on ECD mall

Zara Group teams up with Police Force

‒ to offer UG scholarship programme

P10

2 news

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mother of 7 crushed to death by moving lorry

By Ashraf Dabie

S

eventy-one-year-old Chitraykha Sankar, a mother of seven, succumbed to injuries she sustained moments after being run over by a canter (motor lorry) a short distance from her Lot 61 Houston, Greater Georgetown home on Thursday at about 7:00h.

Reports reaching Guyana Times detail that the accident occurred as the woman was making her way over the Houston Public Road in returning home from clinic. She was unable to complete the crossing, as the canter, registered to K&G Shipping Company and heading towards Georgetown, swept her off the street.

Ramnarace Sugrim, a family friend of the de-

ceased, was present at the scene of the accident and explained what transpired: “Well, she coming from the west side to the east side (of the roadway), and she came up to the crossing and the truck was coming, and then the truck pick she up and brace the wall (median) with her, carrying she under the truck.”

Sugrim indicated that Sankar sustained severe injuries to her head and about her body, and succumbed minutes after the accident despite him making every effort to assist her.

When this publication visited the residence of the deceased, her children and grandchildren were in profound shock over the incident. Nanda Sankar, daughter of the deceased,

Dead: Chitraykha Sankar

revisited the moment when she received the news, and outlined what had transpired when she rushed to the scene.

“My neighbour, he come

and start banging on the door and said my mother got in an accident. When I go out there, she was lying on the ground with blood all over her face,” a distraught Nanda said.

The devastated daughter noted that her mother had not yet died, but after she had failed to secure assistance to get her to the hospital, the woman succumbed to her injuries.

And Sankar’s granddaughter (who requested anonymity) reiterated that response in rendering assistance to her injured grandmother had been slow. “My grandmother was a peaceful woman, and she get a sudden death that I can’t believe it. We ask so many persons to give we assistance, but no one gave us. Even the soldiers (ranks present at the scene) we asked and they drive away.”

She also conveyed the inappropriate reaction of the driver of the K&G canter following the incident.

“The driver was behaving bad! He ain’t behave nice at all! That is a driver, and he supposed to give assistance, and he ain’t give nothing at all. He even curse up my husband,” the distressed woman indicated.

Guyana Times understands that this driver was seen boarding a minibus and seemingly fleeing the scene. However, he was later discovered to be at the

Ruimveldt Police Station when Sankar’s relatives went to file a report. He was taken into police cus-

tody, and was later present at the scene of the accident, assisting with the investigations.

Better Hope man battered by armed bandits

T

hree bandits attacked 43-year-old Vadanand Joseph in front of his Better Hope South, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residence, on Wednesday evening, and relieved him of a Plum smart phone, before turning their attack on his two visitors.

The robbery victim spoke to this newspaper on Thursday and revealed that when he got home around 21:00h on Wednesday night, he saw three men approaching him from the eastern direction of De Souza Street, just as he was about to enter his gate.

According to the injured man, one of the bandits was armed with a handgun while his two accomplices, who were on a bicycle, were armed with cutlasses. The fearful man ran into his yard and realised that he was trapped when the men followed him. Joseph said he attempted to run, but two of the men began to hit

him and threw him on the ground where they continued to batter him about his body before taking his cellphone from his pants pocket.

At this point, two of Joseph’s friends who are regular visitors entered the gate where they came upon their friend being assaulted. The victim further revealed that as one of his friends attempted to escape, he was followed by a gunman who discharged three rounds behind the fleeing man, while the other friend was cornered and dealt several blows and chops about his body.

Fortunately, the Community Policing Group (CPG) was reportedly having a gathering some distance away and became alarmed after hearing the gunshots and came to the rescue of the men. By the time the CPG arrived on the scene, the bandits had already escaped. Investigations are in progress.

news

3

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, August 11 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday, August 12 – 08:30h-10:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, August 11 – 06:30h-08:00h and Saturday, August 12 – 07:10h-08:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout the day, while thundery showers are expected to return in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Ranging from East North-easterly to Easterly between 1.78 metre to 2.68 metres.

High Tide: 06:44h and 19:05h reaching maximum heights of 2.72 metres and 2.66 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:17h and 12:40h reaching minimum heights of 0.53 metre and 0.52 metre respectively.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS 05

07 09

10

20 27

04 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

Thursday, August 10, 2017

DAILY MILLIONS 02 05 08 11 19 LUCKY 3 0 0 7 Afternoon Draw

8

5

8

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

06 07

Pilot made no distress call in final moments – GCAA

– investigator on location, number of factors being probed

BY JARRYL BRYAN

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

F

Fatal plane crash at Eteringbang

09 10 13 15 19

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

W

ith an investigation underway into the two plane crashes in the vicinity of the Eteringbang airstrip in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region, it has emerged that in his final moments, late Roraima Airways Pilot Colin Winston Martin did not make any distress calls as his plane went down.

According to Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Colonel Egbert Field, the only report he received of the pilot’s last words was when he radioed in to report that he was about to land at Eteringbang. Field was also asked about preliminary results from the investigations.

“We have none. I can only give you a brief. The first accident took place while the aircraft was on approach,” Field related.

“And the second accident took place after the aircraft took off from the runway.

We do not have any findings as yet, but we are hoping for a definite position as to what caused the accidents.”

“We have to look at a number of areas. We have to look at the equipment. We have to look at the weather conditions.

We have to look at the human factors and as we drill down, we will be able to ascertain what the cause of the accident was,” he continued.

However, he ruled out the age of the aircraft in both incidents being a factor in the crashes. Fields pointed to the system used by the GCAA to assess whether an aircraft is air worthy. He explained that the process for an aircraft to receive its certificate of air worthiness involves inspection of the aircraft by the GCAA.

Late pilot Colin Martin

stitute parts on the aircraft. We do not allow parts which were made by persons other than the manufacturer. Only genuine parts are placed on the aircraft. And that is only part of the inspection, to ensure that parts are changed and they are genuine or new parts.”

He noted that operators have no choice but to comply with these directives from the GCAA. Failure to do so, he said, could lead to the revocation of the license of the operator. However he said that action such as this has not yet been taken because of the minor nature of current infractions.

he was piloting took a nosedive into thick vegetation around the Eteringbang Airstrip.

The 40-year-old of Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown, was alone at the time of the accident. He was reportedly heading to Eteringbang from Ekereku after a day’s work of shuttling fuel. At the time, he was piloting a BrittenNorman Islander aircraft with registration number 8R-GRA. Then, on Tuesday morning, another plane crashed moments after the pilot took off from the Eteringbang airstrip. The plane was subsequently identified as a

On July 25, 2017, Martin, a former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer who held the rank of Major, was killed after the aircraft

Wing’s Aviation single-engine Cessna aircraft. Pilot Dominique Waddell escaped without life-threatening injuries.

Injured pilot Dominique Waddell

“What the Authority concerns itself about is the quality of the maintenance,” he related. “And that’s the reason why we have inspectors who go out and undertake surveillance exercises and also ensuring the personnel within the organisation are properly certified.”

The Director General noted that aircraft parts have varying expiry dates.

And when these parts have to be replaced, operators have strict codes that they have to adhere to.

“We do not allow sub-

4

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, august 11, 2017

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

A culturally responsive attitude

T

he ability to learn from, and relate respectfully to, people of your own culture as well as other cultures is known as “cultural responsivity”. Being culturally responsive requires openness to the viewpoints, thoughts, and experiences of others.

Without going into the myriad of reasons why, Guyanese from all walks of life should, by now, understand that our culture is dynamic and complex. Owing to an interesting amalgamation of six ethnicities, Guyana’s cultural fabric is interwoven with African, East Indian, Portuguese, Chinese, Indigenous and European influences.

In the past, Guyana has been described as an example to other countries of religious and cultural tolerance, but most can accede that the journey has not been without its challenges. In fact, we cannot, for one nanosecond, cease in our drive to build the understanding and tolerance which are vital for our continued economic and social development.

Most of today’s international conflicts are driven by differences, including economic and class tensions, and are masked by ethnic and religious differences. Thankfully, Guyana has been spared the atrocities associated with religious and cultural extremism.

One of the main factors which have essentially shielded us is that many in our society have remained open to the viewpoints, thoughts, and experiences of others, and have actively sought to explore and honour those differences. We have, in essence, been culturally responsive.

On Wednesday, the Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry launched the annual Heritage Festival at the Umana Yana, “Guyana’s first peoples; sustaining a rich cultural environment”. The launch was done in the spirit of International Day of World Indigenous Peoples.

Over the next month, we will join our indigenous brothers and sisters in celebrating Amerindian Heritage, and will be invited to participate in the many planned activities across the country. We will undoubtedly be exposed to many aspects of the Amerindians’ rich and diverse traditions, most of which we are familiar with; many will be new to us.

In these instances, it is apt that we remain respectful and mindful of our viewpoints, lest we offend. We must at all times guard against the temptation to judge as wrong views that are different from ours. There will be instances when cultural norms of one group may make us uncomfortable.

However, we must resist the urge to judge. Instead, we should make a conscious effort to understand the other perspective.

Last year, during the launch of the Amerindian Heritage celebrations, a religious leader was reported to have made several unpleasant remarks which were said to have offended our indigenous community. While the ‘faux pas’ was dismissed as being “a matter of opinion”, it is apposite for our leaders to take note. This is especially directed to our religious leaders, who have a vital role to play in leading the fight for religious and cultural harmony.

It is true that we are entitled to our opinions; it is also true that we should feel comfortable expressing our views, this goes without saying. However, we need to avoid imposing our own values on others. Again, because we live in a plural society, we need to make a conscious effort to understand the perspectives of others.

It goes without saying that our answers to important societal problems will not be identical. Also, our understanding of the causes of existing issues will not have the same frame of reference. But, like most things, the development of our cultural identity, our tolerance and understanding are all ongoing processes.

Every opportunity that our society is given to celebrate and unite can be used as a platform where individuals, organisations and groups can become aware of each other and recognise existing commonalities.

During the coming month, scores of events will be held nationwide to celebrate a very important aspect of our culture; let us proceed in the spirit of peace, tolerance and cooperation, and let us continue to encourage and practise a culturally responsive attitude.

A delegation of more than 40 students on Thursday took to the highest house in the country to debate matters of national interest and propose solutions for issues facing citizens; at the 3rd annual sitting of Youth Parliament.

The 2017 batch of Youth Parliamentarians was joined by a number of organisers and past participants as they celebrated the success of this year’s deliberations of four pressing motions (Carl Croker photo)

President ought to withdraw PSC directive

Dear Editor, In a previous letter, I emphasised that the coming constitutional reform process would yield nothing but wasted time and money, unless we cultivate a culture of deference to, and compliance with, the provisions of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (“the Constitution.”)

The recent directive by the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (“the President”) to the Police Service Commission (“the Commission”): to halt further promotions until further notice, provides cause to echo that sentiment.

The law on this matter is unambiguous, unlike the constitutional provisions on the appointment of a chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission.

Article 226 (1) makes it pellucid that “save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the di-

rection or control of any other person or authority.”

Undoubtedly, the President is a person to whom this Article refers, and the Police Service Commission is a commission contemplated by this provision. Therefore, the President’s direction for the Commission to halt promotions can only be seen as subjecting it to such direction or control which the constitution aims to prevent.

In this context, it is pertinent that Article 226 (1) be read together with Article 8, which provides that “this Constitution is the supreme law of Guyana, and if any other law is inconsistent with it, that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.”

The Constitution has given power to the President, and it has also set limitations on his power. The Constitution gives the President power to make certain appointments to the Commission, in accordance with set guidelines.

The rule of law, as a constitutional doctrine, adds weight to the principle and law: that the President, and all other office holders for that matter, must exercise power in accordance with the law, resisting urges to act arbitrarily and conveniently. The President therefore exercises his power subject to constitutional limitations. He is inferior to the Constitution; he is even its subordinate.

The President has not provided the public with a reason for this directive. It is unclear whether he has provided one to the Commission. If the President believes there is legal validity in his actions -- and it does not seem that there is -- he should so state forthwith.

This is not to say, however, that adducing same would validate the direction.

Article 226 (1) and Article 8 combine to render the power exercised, its effect and its source, unconstitutional and void.

As things stand, the Commission is not bound by this direction. Even so, the Honourable President ought to withdraw this directive, perhaps after seeking the advice of the learned Attorney General.

This is my opinion, at least. After all, it is the court which has the last say as to what the law is.

Therefore, perhaps it may be necessary to approach the Court to have the question of the President’s powers with respect to the Police Service Commission settled, as was done regarding the interpretation of Article 161 (2). In a society where the principle of constitutionalism is adhered to only when it is convenient to so do, or where compliance is compelled by the judiciary, perhaps increased judicial proceedings is a viable alternative.

Yours sincerely, Chevy Devonish Law student

Amerindians need a legal aid centre

Dear Editor, The Georgetown Prison was burnt down on Sunday 9th July, 2017. In relation to this disaster, the relatives of many Amerindian prisoners are eager to officially know about their current welfare and health status.

This badly-needed information they are not receiving from the Director of Prisons, Mr Gladwin Samuels, the Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs (MoIPA).

They complained that

Amerindian prisoners are badly treated in the prison, and their health status is ignored by the prison wardens and authorities. With the disaster that hit the Georgetown Prison, they all want to know how many Amerindian prisoners received injuries, or even died.

The relatives of some Amerindian prisoners also complained that hinterland Amerindians do not have access to justice, and more so to an attorney-at-law, because of their poverty status; and as a result, they are

unjustly sent to Guyana’s prisons by the courts in the hinterland, on the coast and in Georgetown.

Reports are that many Amerindians are in prison for over six years, not knowing when they will appear before a magistrate or judge for court trial, or be released from prison. This smacks of a blatant violation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Guyana, where the administration of justice is concerned.

In this regard, Amerindians are calling for

the quick establishment of an Amerindian Legal Aid Centre (ALAC), because Guyana’s Legal Aid clinic does not visit the hinterland regions and, as a result, provides no legal assistance to Guyana’s indigenous peoples. With this in mind, I do wonder if legal luminaries such as Melinda Janki, Nigel Hughes, Anil Nandlall and others can consider the formulation of an Amerindian Legal Aid Centre (ALAC).

Yours sincerely, Peter Persaud

news

5

friDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GRA promises rigid monitoring of exploration companies

– remains committed to oil and gas industry

I

terating its steadfast commitment to fulfilling its obligations as one of the regulatory bodies for the rapidly emerging oil and gas sector in Guyana, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said that part of that commitment involves the imposition of rigid systems to closely monitor companies that are undertaking exploration and extraction of oil offshore, in keeping with the contractual agreement between the Guyana Government and those oil exploration companies, including US oil giant ExxonMobil.

The GRA has said, however, that while it would be privy to sensitive information in regard to the discharge of its duties, same would be treated with confidentiality, and only necessary details would be shared with officers.

“The Commissioner-General will only share such excerpts of the said

agreement with relevant officers in the event that their duties require them being privy to such information in the execution of such duties,” the tax body said on Thursday.

The GRA has said that its position takes into consideration a number of factors, chief among which are sensitivity and confidentiality of the documents, and the level of caution that has to be imposed to guard against persistent breaches of the Secrecy Oath at the Authority.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had recently opined that although Government has moved to create a special unit at the GRA to deal with the oil and gas sector, the revenue collecting body would be unable to manage the invoices from ExxonMobil and other oil and gas companies.

Jagdeo said the move to create this special unit paints a perfect picture that Government is getting

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

ready for the new sector, but that does not defend the best interest of the country.

“If the GRA doesn’t even have the capacity to conduct audits on many of our businesses now, something has to be wrong. GRA is collecting our taxes. We have to have a unit that is properly staffed; that has people with experience in dealing with the petroleum industry, who can say, ‘This service we are buying here, we are aware that it could be competitively sourced from another place at same quality’,” Jagdeo has said.

Jagdeo has declared that he has no confidence in the GRA to manage the task. “They are struggling to go after people to collect Value Added Tax (VAT), and even complex local invoices they can’t handle,” he reasoned. “I would have preferred (that for) an industry that has long-term implications, (the situation) would

have been dealt with in a more apolitical fashion; but when you try to raise issues of a technical nature…,” Jagdeo bemoaned.

He restated the reasons why the Opposition would not support the Petroleum Commission Bill, stressing that it gives the minister too much power in giving the minister responsible for petroleum the authority to terminate the Board of the Commission at any time.

The minister would also be granted the power to discharge the functions of the Board if the Board is not appointed.

On that basis, Jagdeo said, the oil and gas model being developed by the current Administration, “will not allow us to build strong technical capacity.

“So that is the huge problem we have with the approach with this Government,” he explained.

Rehab works conducted on Carifesta Avenue – to fix potholes

T

he Ministry of Public Infrastructure said it has successfully determined the cause of the developing potholes along the Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown and has completed minor rehabilitative works to remedy the situation.

In light of concerns over the overall structural integrity of the carriageway, the Ministry said it would like to emphasise that the potholes – particularly those which had developed at the bases of light-poles – were as a result of improper compaction of the white sand that was used as backfill around the pile foundation. Due to continuous and heavy traffic, the sand began to settle, thus causing cavities to develop in the median and water to enter it. As a result, the clay median, mixed with the water, got under the road and caused erosion in the sub base, hence resulting in the failures.

“This issue was discov-

ered during recent assessments by the Ministry. In rectifying this fault, the Ministry, along with the contractor, plugged the cavities with concrete. These sealed areas will soon be overlaid with asphalt,” the Department of Public Information said in a statement.

It said the Ministry wishes to reassure the travelling public of the structural soundness of Carifesta Avenue. “We would also like to thank the public as a whole for its patience and apologised for any inconveniences caused,” the statement added.

Only last year, the Guyana Government expended some $138 million to upgrade Carifesta Avenue.

The project saw the road widening to the North and the installation of a median in the middle of the road to separate the southern and northern carriageways.

Additionally, flags of all the Caribbean Community

Guyana had agreed to co-host the meeting after Dominica pulled out. The Caribbean island had suf-

fered significant damage after Tropical Storm Erika battered it for five hours last August.

Zeelugt construction worker denies dangerous driving charge

C One of the potholes along Carifesta Avenue which were recently filled with concrete. The holes will soon be covered with asphalt

(Caricom) Member States were placed on light poles that were installed on the median along the road.

This was done to commemorate the July 2016 Caricom Summit that was held in Guyana.

The 37th Regular Meeting of the Conference under the Chairmanship of Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, was co-hosted by the Government of Guyana and the Caricom Secretariat.

onstruction worker and part-time hire car driver, Sheik Hussain, appeared before West Demerara Magistrate Rushell Liverpool where he defended himself against allegations that he drove dangerously earlier this year.

According to Police, on May 8, 2017,at the Bagotville Public Road, West Bank Demerara, Hussain drove motorcar HC 1408 in a manner dangerous to the public.

The 36-year-old Zeelugt,

East Bank Essequibo resident, who was driving the taxi on the day in question, entered a not-guilty plea at his arraignment on Thursday.

Much to his visible astonishment in court, Hussain was released on $25,000 bail as he awaits his trial in which three witnesses are expected to testify.

The accused will make his next appearance at the Wales Magistrate’s Court on October 26.

6

friDAY, August 11, 2017

Page

BY PAM MYERS, BSED

N

utrition is one of the single most important factors when it comes to a child’s development. Proper nutrition is essential for children to succeed in school. By feeding your children a proper diet, you are helping them to be able to function properly in school in addition to fostering their growing mind and bodies.

A proper diet is especially important for growing children. At this level, the children’s minds are still developing and their bodies are growing fast. Without proper nutrition, a child will lack the vitamins and minerals necessary to facilitate a normal growth.

It is important to feed your children a variety of healthy meals and snacks. Avoid feeding children junk food which will only contribute to obesity and malnutrition. The occasional treat will not hurt your child, but it is not healthy to make it a regular habit.

One way to ensure that your child eats healthy at school is to make a bag lunch for your child each day. Include healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables or a variety of nuts. Each of

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

these snacks is high in vitamins and low in fat. They also provide your child with energy to keep their attention on school matters rather than drifting off to sleep.

Also pack a nutritious meal along with a juice box or milk box. Nutritious meals can include sandwiches along with soups. Be sure to pack your children’s meals in small portions as children tend to snack on several items at

once. While there is no way to ensure that your child is not trading away their food, you are preventing them from buying school lunches which consist of mostly processed food.

Getting involved with the school can be beneficial. PTA meetings are held regularly for parents to voice their

concerns with issues. This would be a good venue for bringing up the subject of healthier school lunches. More than likely, you are not the only parent who has concerns about the food being served in the cafeteria.

As children get older and graduate to junior high and high school, more unhealthy options are available in the lunch room such as ice cream machines and soda machines. Gather a bunch of nutrition-minded parents and create a plan to implement new options into the school cafeterias. While you may not see immediate results, if you keep up your campaigning and your research, eventually someone else’s kids will benefit from your hard work.

There are several ways to implement a healthy, nutritious diet in schoolage children. Children need lots of minerals and vitamins in order to develop the tools necessary to facilitate healthy growth in both body and mind.

Packing a bag lunch for your children is a great way to monitor what your child eats while at school. Another great solution is to get involved with the PTA and campaign for healthier school lunches. Results may not be immediate, but they will be beneficial.

BY ELIZABETH J MEYER, PHD (Continued from Thursday)

I

like last names because it is easy to then have students go down the line, introduce themselves to the room with preferred name and pronouns, and verify their last names are in order by my class printout. I then make notes on my class roster to make sure I remember to address students how they have introduced themselves. I may sometimes ask a student to repeat or spell their name in order to ensure I pronounce it correctly since using proper pronunciation and spelling is an important way to respect and welcome diverse cultures, languages, and identities into the classroom.

(childdevelopmentinfo.com)

4) Explain bathroom policies/procedures

Let students know where the closest facilities are to use during class and if they need to get permission or a pass before leaving. Make sure students know about options for all-gender or gender-neutral facilities. Try to find a way to make your hall/bathroom passes so they are not gender-specific. If your building has only designated male and female public bathrooms for students, check with your administration about the policy for accessing single-user facilities (nurse's bathroom, staff washrooms, etc.) and share this information with all of your students.

5) Representation matters

Make sure you have people of various races, genders, cultures, abilities, and careers represented in your books, posters, decorations, and curriculum. Does your school/university have a safe space or ally program? Do you have a sticker or poster on your door or a statement on your syllabus that indicates if you support that program? If you do, make sure you stand behind it in actions by interrupting derogatory jokes and name-calling and explaining to your students what it means to you to be an ally. More ideas for designing spaces inclusive of gender diversity are available here. More ideas for beginning of the year community building ideas are here. Making these intentional and explicit efforts is essential as data show that vulnerable youth, including transgender and undocumented youth, are experiencing higher rates of bullying, harassment, and suicidal thoughts since November 2016. This is being referred to as the “Trump effect”. As educators, it is our job to do everything we can to create affirming and welcoming spaces for students to learn, develop, and explore ideas and identities. This can’t happen if they feel threatened or in harm’s way. I hope these suggestions give you some ideas of how you can start this school year off by creating a welcoming, supportive and affirming learning community for all students. (psychologytoday.com)

news

7

friDAY, August 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Indian company extends stone expertise to GGMC

Acting Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison, examining some of the stone samples in the presence of Chairman of Gem Group, R Veeramani

T

he Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has received samples of semi-precious stone from Indian stone mining giant Gem Group of Companies.

Chairman of Gem Group, R Veeramani, and Director of Gem Granites,

R. Gunasekaran, paid a courtesy call on Acting GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison on Thursday and made the presentation.

Veeramani, who also chairs the Development Panel for Granite Industry within India’s

Ministry of Industry, told Commissioner Dennison that his company has assisted other countries with the promotion and development of their stone industries.

“We help other countries in establishing the market and to promote their material,” Veeramani said.

Dennison opined that establishing this collaboration would help to improve the GGMC’s lapidary section, which remains underdeveloped and under-promoted.

“Perhaps this is a good time to see how we can raise the profile and get the lapidary back on the proper footing,” Dennison said.

Verramani is credited with promoting India’s stone industry, whose export market is valued at

NTC wants parliamentary engagement on Petroleum Commission Bill

T

he National Toshaos Council (NTC) has written the Clerk of the National Assembly seeking an engagement with the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Petroleum Commission Bill, to offer their input before the passage of the piece of legislation.

“We are seeking to do a presentation to the Committee on this issue, to satisfy this inclusive consultative process on this very important Bill. We are furnishing this request in recognition of our rights under Article 9 and Article 13 respectively, of Guyana’s Constitution”, the letter stated.

The letter was sent on Wednesday.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, presented the Petroleum Commission Bill for the first time in the

National Assembly.

The Bill intituled (gives title to a legislative act) an Act to provide for the establishment and functions of the Petroleum Commission of Guyana and for related matters. The six-part bill has 51 sections, which cover areas pertaining to the establishment and incorporation of the Petroleum Commission, functions and duties of the Commission, and financing, among other things.

The Petroleum Commission Bill makes provision for the establishment of a Petroleum Commission to serve as a regulatory agency for Guyana’s oil and gas industry. The establishment of a new regulatory agency will see responsibility for the oil and gas sector being taken from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

Minister Trotman, mov-

ing for the bill to go to Special Select Committee, contended that the bill would be better served if it has “the benefit of a bipartisan look” before it is passed into law. The bill was recommended for consideration by the minister, who noted, “The entrance into the House is timely, necessary, and is a progressive step” for Guyana.

The Petroleum Commission will be semi-autonomous, and the bill’s construct is similar to agencies such as the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Like the GFC and GGMC, the Petroleum Commission would also have a reserve fund.

The bill was composed with input from the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Oceans and Natural Resources Advisory Division.

about $2 billion. India has identified 200 varieties of stone, and Gem Group has branded more than 70 varieties of those stones.

The Department of Public Information not-

ed that a sample of these stones was presented to be displayed in the GGMC’s library. “Those varieties that they are going to leave with us will certainly put (our lapidary dis-

play) on a different platform,” Dennison pointed out.

Gem Group is on a fiveday scoping mission to explore investment opportunities in Guyana.

8 news

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Minibus driver freed of Nismes fatal accident charge Man with a plan…

M

By Shemuel Fanfair

inibus driver Nazeer Mohamed, charged for causing the death of motorcyclist Timothy Emanuel Assing on the Nismes Public Road, West Bank Demerara early on the morning of August 7, 2016, was on Thursday freed of the offence by West Demerara Magistrate Rushell Liverpool.

Mohamed had reportedly been driving his mini-

Deceased: Timothy Assing

bus in a southerly direction on the eastern carriageway of the Nismes Public Road while Assing and his pillion rider, Shellon Glasgow, had been travelling in a northerly direction on the motorcycle when he allegedly was blinded by the headlights of the oncoming minibus and veered into its path. The resultant head-on collision had caused the minibus to end up in the trench on the eastern side of the public road.

Assing died while being transported to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), while Glasgow had received treatment for injuries to her mouth.

Mohamed had, for the last several months, been appearing at the Wales Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge. His case was initially presided over

by Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse, who was recently installed as resident Magistrate in Linden.

Woman to stand trial for attempted murder of stepson

A

s the final witness took to the stand to testify before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the court ruled that sufficient evidence was made out against Samantha Bourne for the attempted unlawful killing of Virtual Complainant (VC) Kevin Blair during a brawl earlier this year.

The 40-year-old woman was recently released on $150,000 bail when she appeared before the Chief Magistrate for unlawfully and maliciously wounded Kevin Blair with intent to commit murder on May 28, 2017, at Lot 292 Independence Boulevard, Georgetown.

As the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) conclud-

ed on Thursday, Esther Cumberbatch, an eyewitness to the incident, presented sworn testimony and was cross-examined by State Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield.

Defence Counsel Adrian Thompson in his closing maintained that the evidence presented by the prosecution’s witnesses were consistent with that of attempted murder while positing that

there was no evidence to suggest that the wounds of the VC were life threatening, as the medical merely indicated that Blair suffered a stab wound to the abdomen.

According to Thompson, the abdomen is not a “vital organ” of the human body as he made references to the head, heart, lungs and liver as being examples of such.

After a few moments of deliberation, the Chief

Magistrate stated that based on the evidence of the prosecution’s witnesses, the defendant’s statements and defence’s witnesses, the court has found that sufficient evidence has been made out in the PI to commit Bourne to stand trial for the attempted murder of Blair at the next practical sitting of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature, in Georgetown.

According to media reports, on the day in question, there was a confrontation between the two parties at their Independence Boulevard residence when Bourne whipped out a knife and stabbed her stepson to his abdomen. He was then rushed to the hospital by a relative.

The Prosecutor made no objection to bail being granted which was set at $150,000.

M

…at GPHell?

aybe your Eyewitness doesn’t get around as much as he ought to. In this season of discontent - not to mention gnashing of teeth!

- with the now everyday blackouts, one citizen referred to the power company as “GPHell”!! The wit and wisdom of the man in the minibus! In that neologism (literally “new word”!!) is captured the reality of the ordinary citizen, forced to live in the degradation of being catapulted into stygian darkness at any moment - without notice! Life on the edge of the abyss is hell indeed!

“Blackout” isn’t just about the lights. It’s also about highlighting the class differences in Guyana.

The real rich ones who can afford it -- and ministers! -already have their generators with automatic switches that “sense” when GPHell’s gone off, and without pause, turns over to generator power. Literally for them, blackouts are just a blip! Even their AC’s can be powered by their high-output generators. Hearing about blackout complaints, they wonder, “What’s all this fuss??”

Right down the line are those owning generators with “key start”. They just have to pull a couple of switches in their electrical panel, turn on their generators with their key, and fume because they have to walk outdoors to where they placed their generator. Further down are the ones who don’t have the key switch, so have to put their shoulder into it by pulling the start-cord a number of times. Really gives their arms a good workout if the generator hasn’t been serviced!! At the bottom of the totem pole, of course, are the ordinary folks, who can afford neither the generator nor the gas to fuel it. For them, the reality is GPHell!!

Their chicken in the fridge will ‘spoil”. Their kids won’t be able to complete their homework - especially since so much of the latter now depends on getting onto the Web. But, worst of all, they’re reminded of how much their lives of quiet desperation are made bearable by the TV fantast fare. When this goes off in the GPHell, they have no alternative but to face their frustrations of living in a backward Third World country - which is just above Haiti on the human “livability” scale.

What makes the situation worse is that subject Minister Patterson -- who seems to be Pressie’s blueeyed boy -- had the gall to announce how GPHell is awash in cash -- because of cheap oil, not better collections! -- yet can’t deliver a basic service that has been produced and transmitted over a hundred years.

Maybe we should bring back Wartsilla? Hell…maybe we should bring back the British!!

…on garbage?

Well, well, well. Just when your Eyewitness thought he’d heard it all, up comes Town Clerk Royston King to “explain” that there might be some method to his madness in his garbage plan. The last we’d heard from him was he’d found the two established garbage collectors -- Puran and Cevons (P&C), whom the City owes $300M -- to’ve breached their contract for not allowing that $300M to swell further by picking up more garbage!!

King had also announced that, to handle the vacuum left by P&C, he’d gotten three small companies to pick up garbage along with the City Garbage Dept, and he’ll pay off P&C. Now, if this was an option, why hadn’t King exercised it before? And if he can pay these newgarbage-kids-on-the-block and his men, where will he get the money to pay off P&C? Your Eyewitness must give a hat tip to King, though. If he can sell this bit of snake oil, then he ought to apply to solve our Venezuelan Border controversy!

…or clueless?

Seriously now: has Basil Williams EVER won a case?

His latest argument was the PPP were squatting so egregiously in Red House their claim didn’t even have to be heard by the courts.

It was just summarily thrown out!!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

News

9

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Another attack on ECD mall

Shots fired as gunmen storm GPL’s Mon Repos office B

usiness owners and employees at the Mon Repos Mall, on the East Coast of Demerara, are calling for Police protection following the latest incident of armed robbery at the establishment. Their noted fears follow Thursday’s brazen daylight robbery, where three gun-toting bandits executed a robbery on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) office within the Mon Repos Mall. On this occasion, the gunmen fired shots as they fled the scene.

Sometime after 13:00h on Thursday, three men entered GPL’s Mon Repos branch and held up the staff and a customer at gunpoint, robbing them of their valuables. The bandits allegedly tied up approximately four persons, including the security guard and ordered them to be quiet. They relieved the guard of his firearm.

The affected persons were visibly shaken when this publication visited the scene moments after the brazen attack. However, residents and vendors in

they continued investigations in an effort to nab the suspects. GPL’s Executive Management, through a release late Thursday, expressed concern over “the threat to the lives of staff and customers.”

GPL disclosed that the centre will be closed today and on Saturday, August 12, indicating that service will resume in the new week.

Previous mall attacks

Police investigating the robbery at the Mon Repos Mall on Thursday

the area told the media that the three bandits were seen rushing out of the building, one armed with a knife and the other two seen with handguns.

“I see the guy come out with a knife in his hand. A guy get attacked and they take away he phone and then after that, two more guys come out and when he meet at the mall here, one fired a shot and come back at the vehicle and fire a next shot,” an eyewitness said.

The trio was said to have entered a silver Toyota Allion car and escaped. Additionally, persons in the area criticised the Police’s response, highlighting that several calls to the Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara Police Station went unanswered.

“We call the Police station, no assistance,” a worker in the area noted.

At the scene, investigators and Police officials were however seen scanning the area and taking prints as

On August 3, five persons – three customers and two sales representatives – were robbed of cash, mobile phones and other valuables, including I-pads, at the Mon Repos Mall’s E-networks store. Similarly, the bandits fled in a waiting motorcar.

In January 2016, four bandits invaded the Bank of Baroda branch located on the ground floor of this mall, at about 12:50h on the day in question, and relieved the female security guard of her .32 service revolver before robbing the entity of more than $2 million in cash. Several persons were charged for that crime.

Dataram case continues before the courts

A

s the matter of local convicted drug trafficker, Barry Dataram and his brother, Troy Dataram, was called before city Magistrate Judy Latchman on Thursday afternoon, the case was almost immediately adjourned to August 14, due to the non-appearance by Troy Dataram.

Defence Attorney Glen Hanoman had earlier suggested that this may be as a result of the recent order by Chief Justice Yonnette CummingsEdwards to have the forfeited property returned to him (Troy Dataram) by the State.

The Magistrate further questioned the attorney and State Prosecutor Dionne McCalmon who seemed oblivious of the development.

McCalmon was instructed to uplift a copy of the order from the court’s clerk.

This case will be called again at 13:30h on August 14, for a report from the State Prosecutor. The $9 million was seized by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit officials during a search conducted on the home of Troy Dataram on February 18, 2016.

This matter was before the High Court in a civil matter involving the Special Organised Crime Unit over its continued possession of the seized monies which was ruled dismissed, after the Chief Justice found that there was no grounds for the said

Troy Dataram

currency to remain in the custody of SOCU. Barry Dataram is presently serving an eight-year prison sentence after he was earlier this year found guilty of drug trafficking and passport forgery. Meanwhile, Dataram’s wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, was in May this year sentenced to nine months in prison when the Bartica Magistrate’s Court found her guilty of smuggling contraband into the Mazaruni Prison where her reputed husband is serving time.

Boodnarine was reportedly visiting Dataram at the prison when a search conducted revealed 14 packs of cigarettes concealed in Cheese Sticks packets which were intended for the convict.

10 news

fridAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Speeding minibus ends up in Wales canal P

olice have launched a probe into an accident that resulted in a route 31 minibus ending its journey in a canal in the vicinity of the Wales Sugar Estate, West Bank Demerara. While details of the collision are sketchy, Guyana Times was told that it occurred on Wednesday.

According to information received, the driver of a pick-up which transports a senior official attached to the Estate, and bears registration number GMM 9290, was attempting to turn the vehicle around when the speeding minibus came head on, colliding with the pick-up. As a result of the impact, the driver of the minibus lost control of his vehicle and came to a stop

in the canal. Following the accident, the licence plates of the minibus were swiftly removed.

One of the passengers from the route 31 minibus walked away with minor cuts and abrasions. The front windshield and right side of the pick-up sustained damages, while several dents and heavy mud residue was seen on the route 31 minibus.

Police ranks at the nearby Wales Police Station responded promptly and reportedly detained both drivers for questioning, as well as impounding the vehicles at the Wales Police Station.

The drivers were subsequently released from custody as investigations into the accident continue.

Both vehicles have been impounded at the Wales Police Station

Zara Group teams up with Police Force

‒ to offer UG scholarship programme

F

our Guyanese students desirous of attending the University of Guyana (UG) have an opportunity to do so free of cost as the Zara Group of Companies partnered with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to launch its first scholarship programme.

Two of the scholarships will be available to the public and the remaining two will be offered to immediate family of members of the GPF to attend either the Turkeyen or Tain University campus-

es, beginning September 2017.

Senior Vice President of Zara Group of Companies, Jay Subraj said the scholarship is the Companies’ way of fulfilling its corporate social responsibility.

The scholarships are for a duration of four years and cover 100 per cent of the tuition fee at the University of Guyana. The students are required to maintain a high grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in order to continue benefit from the scholarship.

If two or more candidates are eligible, the shortlisted candidates will be selected via a random draw.

To be eligible to apply

Senior Vice President of Zara Group of Companies, Jay Subraj

for the Guyana Police Force Zara Scholarship, candidates must have: recently completed the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) 2017 examination, with a minimum of eight subjects (applicants can apply now and email their results after); provide proof of acceptance letter from the University of Guyana; demonstrate need for financial assistance with letter stating parents’ income; be planning to enrol full-time in a bachelor’s degree programme; have letter to show you have completed at least 100 hours community service; submit letter address to the Guyana Police Force-Zara Scholarship Committee on the topic – your future goals and plans to achieve them.

Persons interested in applying for the scholarship programme can send an email to: gpfzarascholarship@gmail.com.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, August 23.

The Zara Group of Companies was established approximately 30 years ago by a Guyanese family. The company was mainly involved in real estate business and managing apartment buildings in New York City. So far, the company has collaborated with several local organisations including the Central Islamic Organisation and the GPF, in all three counties of Guyana.

news

11

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

AG maintains contract S RAIGHT Former should be made public ExxonMobil contract

F

I

The business characteristics of ‘upstream’ oil and gas activities

t is important to note that there are four key business characteristics of upstream oil and gas activities. They are: * High financial risk with high financial returns for the developer; * A highly regulated industry; * An industry impacted by global politics; * Very technology intensive industry

The upstream industry is arguably the most complex of all the oil and gas business sectors. There are many risks and unknowns in the exploration process, but when you hit oil in commercial quantities (as happened in Guyana), the developer can make billions based on the contract. In Guyana’s case, hundreds of millions of dollars were spent by the developers (Exxon/Hess/CNOOC) and many years invested in the process. Remember, it took 22 years for the developers to move from signing the exploration contract with President Janet Jagan to real oil in 2021.

The upstream industry is regulated in terms of production, access to the reserves, pricing and taxation and some very stringent environmental regulations. In 2016, the Obama Administration issued a comprehensive set of new rules governing offshore drilling by American companies, after the Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 rig workers and spewed millions of gallons of raw oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Those Obama regulations brought a renewed focus on the blowout preventers (BOP) that we spoke about last week (the device on the seabed that can seal off an offshore oil and gas well in the case of an emergency and prevent uncontrolled leaks). What is of critical importance is that the US Government mandates that the BOP be broken down and inspected every five years. In addition, today by law the oil companies have to hire onshore experts to monitor the seabed in real time for any leaks.

Upstream is also a global business. After two years of a low-price environment, a potential rebalance of the market is underway thanks to OPEC’s decision to cut production to bolster prices. But the increases in the oil prices have been sluggish at best mainly because of three reasons: 1. There is a large amount of oil stock to work through globally that is held in reserves.

2. The return of shale oil production. With a price above US$50 a barrel, fracking is back (the EIA project a price of US$60 per barrel by 2019 – see graph below).

3. There is a huge increase in the production of renewable energy in the major oil consuming nations and this has dampened the growth in the demand for oil and gas. The production of renewable energy is expected to double by 2030.

Finally, as we have seen in the previous column with the development of unconventional prospects, especially in off shore exploration, upstream oil and gas activities can be extremely capital intensive with much technology that requires less manpower compared to other kinds of economic activities.

So who are the main players in upstream activities? The four main categories of participants in the upstream sector are the majors, the National Oil Companies (NOCs), the independents and the oilfield services companies.

Major oil companies are those integrated oil companies that operate assets in all segments of the industry for example Exxon. The NOCs are those industry participants that are owned and managed by governments, for example, SAUDI ARAMCO. The Independents are usually smaller oil and gas companies that restrict themselves to a specific segment of the oil and gas industry and are not integrated like the Majors (for example CGX).

The oilfield services companies are important and often the most misunderstood part of the business. This sector includes those companies that provide specialised equipment, services and technical skills needed for a particular segment of the operations. Oilfield services companies do not normally produce oil and gas or own assets that do this sort of thing. At a typical well site, there are some 30 oilfield services companies working along side the developer to extract the oil and gas from the well.

Next week I was supposed to commence discussing the midstream segment of the oil and gas industry but I will pause on the series because of some major mid-year national financial developments that have happened in the Guyanese economy. We shall re-commence this oil and gasPlease series sometime in September 2017. share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

ormer Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall is claiming that the ExxonMobil contract may be the most important agreement signed

by Guyana since achieving its independence.

He is accordingly reiterating his call for Government to release the contract for public scrutiny, which he says should be done on the basis that citizens have a right to know what’s contained in it.

Nandall posited that the ExxonMobil contract should be laid in the National Assembly, so that Members of Parliament (MPs) could debate it with the intention of ensuring that Guyana secures the best possible deal.

The former minister is also accusing Government of misusing the law to hide the contract. “That is another misuse of the law. No law will prohibit a people from being acquainted or being fed information that is in the national interest and in the public interest. There is no law that will do that,” the former Minister stated.

He maintains that the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to information that is in the public interest.

While acknowledging that it may not be appropriate to disclose all the details of this contract, Nandlall said the Petroleum Commission Act may prohibit the sharing of certain confidential information, but it does not translate to mean hiding the entire contract from the nation.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has also demanded full disclosure on the Exxon contract. He has called on Government to make public the contract document signed with ExxonMobil, given several public statements made

by Trotman and because of the initial agreement with ExxonMobil.

Economist and political commentator Ramon Gaskin also only recently urged Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman to release the full text of the Production Sharing Agreement with ExxonMobil, claiming that the time has come for this information to be made public.

Gaskin observed that both the current Administration and the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration have consistently refused to publish this document; but stressed the importance of having it done now, especially since production of oil and gas is expected to begin by mid-2020.

These three outspoken men are not the only ones calling for a disclosure of the contract. In fact, local transparency watchdog the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) has also

Former Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has accused Government of misusing the law to hide the ExxonMobil contract

called on Government to make full disclosure of its contract with ExxonMobil.

TIGI said full disclosure would assure Guyanese living at home and abroad that negotiations with the oil major are in the best interest of the country, and would eliminate concerns of corruption.

TIGI also agrees with Nandall that the contract drafts and negotiations should be laid in Parliament. The body has expressed concern about the very existence of this confidentiality clause, and wants to know whether it can expect to see it removed in the revised act which is due shortly.

Furthermore, considering that contract secrecy

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman

can be injurious to countries rich with natural resources such as oil, TIGI is urging the Government to publish all contract drafts with USA oil giant ExxonMobil.

The body is also calling for Parliament to be able to shine the light of transparency on all negotiations between Guyana and the said company.

Contract on ‘lock down’

Minister Trotman recently told this publication that there have been attempts by unauthorised persons to access the documents, and this has since prompted the authorities to place the contract on ‘lock down’.

The minister said it has been observed that “unusual activities” were being made to access the petroleum contract documents which the Government of Guyana

made with ExxonMobil Corporation.

This oil giant confirmed in May 2015 that a significant discovery of oil was made at its Liza 1 exploration well, where more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs were encountered.

In late June 2016, Exxon’s drilling results at Liza 2 revealed more than 58 metres of oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs in Upper Cretaceous formations. The well was drilled to 5,475 metres at 1,692 metres water depth. Drilling results confirmed recoverable resources to be between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Data from the Liza 2 well test is being assessed.

The company later announced that it made its third significant discovery in its drilling explorations offshore Guyana. Its partner, Hess Corporation, had noted that the Liza 3 exploratory well’s net value could be US$6.2 billion based on calculations from the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Capital Markets.

Exxon’s oil find in Guyana has attracted international attention, with a number of seminars being held over time. In addition, assistance is being provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to boost Guyana’s administrative capacity to handle the expected inflow of revenue.

12

friday, August 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

A

fter 19 years in existence, the Simpli Royal family in collaboration with designer Nelsion Nurse will be hosting the first ever Miss Guyana Princess Pageant which caters for young girls between the ages of 10 and 13.

Pageant coach Pamela Dillon has been actively involved in pageants, with her signature event being the Miss Guyana Talented Teen, which is in its 17th year.

The inaugural pageant will see six young girls competing in several segments including the opening sequence, talent, princess presentation, formal attire and onstage interview. The delegates will also be involved in a pre-pageant personality interview.

The pageant is slated for Sunday, August 20, at the Theatre Guild. Tickets for the pageant cost $2000.

T

Delegate # 1

Delegate # 2

Delegate # 4

Delegate # 5

Naomi Pillay is 10 years old and attends St Angela’s Primary School. She is the first runner-up of the 2017 Miss St Angela’s Pageant. She also loves soca music.

Pillay wants to become a teacher and spends time teaching younger children. She also enjoys reading, dancing and socialising. She will be showcasing the humility of Cinderella on pageant night.

Nyomie Sampson is an eleven-year-old former pupil of Eccles Primary School who recently earned a place at St Joseph High School.

Sampson loves music; she sings and plays the piano. She also loves swimming and is bilingual, with Dutch as her second language.

She is representing Pocahontas.

he National Cultural Centre will definitely come alive this Saturday, as six radiant, intelligent and successful young ladies will take to the stage for the title of Miss Emancipation 2017.

Those competing for the pageant are Rachel Alfred, Emaley Nurse, Sceantell Alder, Tinesha Trotman, Amaniah Cort and Ayana Glasgow.

The aim of the Miss Emancipation pageant is to empower young African Guyanese women through culture awareness and education. Over the years, the delegates of the Miss Emancipation pageant have engaged themselves in a series of African history and women empowerment seminars.

The delegates will be competing in the introduction, business wear, evening gown and intelligence segments. In addition, the delegates were tasked with coming up with a community project and on the night of the grand coronation, they will be grilled on its content and implementation.

The reigning Miss Emancipation, Delicia Wright, will pass her crown onto the new queen on pageant night.

Sheltisha Dawson is a gifted 12-year-old who is a student of Graham’s Hall Primary and who studies ballet at the National School of Dance.

She is an aspiring lawyer. She likes dancing, modelling and reading. She likes to help feed children at the orphanage and visiting new places.

Dawson will be representing Jasmine.

Keara Jarvis is an eleven-year-old who attends Peters’ Hall Primary School.

She plans to be a teacher and thinks each child has a right to an education.

She loves to dance, read and sing and her favourite quote is…”I must discipline myself so no one has to discipline me”. Jarvis is representing Rapunzel.

Delegate # 3

Ena Joaquin is eleven years old and is a former student of St Paul’s Primary School.

Ena will be attending Richard Ishmael Secondary School come September and has her sights set on becoming a doctor.

She likes to dance to her favourite music which is soca and she also loves to read and look after babies.

She is representing the brave Mulan.

Delegate # 6

Oshay Roberts is a student of Hopetown Primary School who likes to sing and dance.

In addition to singing and dancing, she likes to sketch and colour. Oshay also likes to take part in athletics, particularly running.

Her favourite pet is a dog she named Rex. She also has a pet turtle and a pet rabbit. She likes playing electronic games and was a participant at the 2017 Children’s Calypso Monarch competition. She will be representing Snow White.

guyanatimesgy.com

friday, August 11, 2017

A

ll plans are in place for the 17th annual Lake Mainstay Regetta and Stage Show this Sunday, at the magnificent fresh water lake, Essequibo Coast. The main attraction will be the “clash of the daredevils” and will feature Neil Gonsalves and team from Essequibo and Dave Scott and team from Bartica.

On the day of the event, there will be 13 categories of power boat racing. These include the three 15 HP; two 40 HP; three 90 HP; two 200 HP and three Open HP for male and females.

In addition, there will be the one 200 metre male and female canoe race and the 200 metre race for swimmers. However, there will be a memorial race in the 90-HP category in honour of Orin Bell who lost his life a few years ago.

While it will be fun on the water top, more

Blaze Anthonio

T

Roger Bowen

13

than $3 million in cash prizes and trophies will be up for grabs.

Meanwhile, after the races, all attention will be focused on the stage show and beach party, with live performances by some of Guyana’s best.

These include Blaze Anthonio, Roger Bowen, Bunty Singh, Kadi Kish, Trevon Vibez, Poonam Singh and Aamir Khan. The emcee for the evening will be Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones. Also in the house will be Pream’s Mega Sound and Essequibo’s top deejays.

During the day, there will be the children’s fun park, comprising the merry-go-round, trampoline and bouncy castle.

There will be several well stocked food and drink bars. Admission for the event costs $1000 for adults and $500 for children, with more at the gate and the action kicks off at 10:00h.

Bunty Singh

hirty-year-old Floyd Mccloggan was born to Loma Richards and Ivelaw Mccloggan at the Georgetown Public Hospital and grew up in Albouystown, Georgetown. His siblings are Onella Richards and Arnold Richardson.

His childhood was quite challenging and he would have faced some struggles as any other child who grew up in the “ghetto”, but luckily for him he had both parents who kept him in line.

He attended Enterprise Primary School and St John’s College where he completed his secondary education. He is a certified welder and also a professional barber. Lately, he has been branching out into music and hopes to make a name for himself in dancehall music.

This passion for the art form he attributes to growing up with music all around him. Growing up in the “ghetto” exposed him to music from musicians like Vybz Kartel; this conscious music definitely motivated him to get into the music industry.

Even though he has a liking for the “Gaza World Boss”, his role model is Michael Jackson.

Mccloggan has a few tunes he has recorded and can be viewed on YouTube and his Facebook page. He is yet to release the song on any of the major radio and television stations.

He writes his own lyrics and feels that he wants the world to know him as an artiste and at no point in time, will he try to be someone else.

In five years’ time, he hopes to be one of the biggest dancehall artistes coming out of Guyana. On a lighter note, he loves to sing, write music, watch movies and play cricket.

His favourite time of the year is Christmas because he believes that it is a time to enjoy pepper pot and ginger beer. His favourite color is pink and his favourite quote is “Be the best you can be, even when you’re at your lowest”.

Poonam Singh

T

Aamir Khan

Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones

he Miss Renaissance Pageant will be held on August 19 at the National Cultural Centre, with 12 professional women competing for the coveted title.

The pageant serves as a catalyst to re-educate the public about their inner beauty, creativity, cultural awareness and an accomplishment of the matured Guyanese women 30 years and older. For the past weeks, Guyana Times Entertainment has been featuring the delegates.

This week, we are pleased to introduce to you 52-yearold Tessa Eileen Fernandes of Wanakai Creek, North West District, Region One (BarimaWaini). She was born to Ivlaw Lionel February and Petrina P a u l i n e RobertsFebruary.

She is the eleventh child of sixteen siblings and the sixth girl of 11 sisters.

She attended Sacred Heart Primary for only five years and was forced to look after her younger siblings, since

there was no secondary school in the area for her to further her studies.

At 15, she met and fell in love with her lifelong partner Desmond Fernandes. Their union produced four children, including twins.

Her supportive husband – who was a youth officer and subsequently a Member of Parliament for the People’s National Congress – encouraged her to return to school to further her education.

As such, she attended the Dawn Sarabo Dressmaking School in Quamina Street Georgetown, where she successfully completed an advance course in dressmaking and design. She later became a business woman and a seamstress.

Later, she attended evening classes at the North-west Secondary School where she wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), securing seven subjects. Fernandes then enrolled at the University of Guyana and now is the proud holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in B u s i n e s s Management and a Diploma in Public Management.

Further, to meet the needs of the 21st century, she completed a Diploma in computer studies at Computer World.

14

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, august 11, 2017

News

Aviation sector contributed Sweeper-cleaners vow more protests $20B to GDP for 2015 – study No letting up

over salary, vacation leave

– as foreigners spending cash a major boost to economy

ith no response forthcoming from Government in regard to their plight, schools’ sweeper-cleaners have again taken to the streets to protest what they describe as inhumane treatment from the authorities.

Following demonstration exercises held at the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday and the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, sweeper-cleaners again took to the streets on Thursday, this time in front of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture Youth and Sport, demanding that their cries be heard.

“They are not answering us as yet! They have not even come out and deal with us! We need to get an answer today, or else we are not going back to work. We are going to be out every day to enforce it!” one protestor declared.

“Right now we have not received any response from the Ministry of the Presidency or (the) Ministry of Finance. We ain’t get anything from them up to now!

No answer on this one-week payment that they give us to support our children!” another single mother said.

By Jarryl Bryan

W

A

Sweeper-cleaners have vowed not to let up their protest until someone listens to their plea

Still another protestor, who was leading the chant of, “One week salary can’t pay!” said, “We get school clothes to buy…we are single parents out here, and we can’t get that. That is not fair for us! When it goes across the board, we ain’t getting any; that ain’t fair!” she said. First Vice President of the Guyana Public Service Union, Mortimer Livan, has said the demonstrations will continue until someone responds. “Nothing positive as yet. We are still waiting to see what is going to happen,” he told Guyana Times on the sidelines of the protest. He also said “We are going to be out here tomor-

row (today) and next week.

We are going to continue until we see some things happening.” Following the first protest -- on Tuesday at Ministry of the Presidency -- Livan had said the conditions under which the cleaners work are unacceptable.

He said the situation is developing further into an economic disaster for the workers and their families, as they are on many occasions the only source of income for their families.

Guyana Times was told that a meeting has been arranged between GPSU representatives and Government officials to discuss the matter.

study commissioned by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and executed by UK-based Oxford Business Group at a cost of US$50,000 -- has determined that the aviation sector contributed some $20 billion to the national coffers in 2015, or 3.2 per cent of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for that year.

Oxford acquired much of its source data from analyses done by the Bureau of Statistics.

Director General of the GCAA, Colonel (retd) Egbert Field, has said the study would be used as a benchmark to continually assess the performance of the sector in order to make improvements. “We decided to engineer a study that would assess the impact of aviation over the past two years, so that we could set a benchmark for future studies, knowing the part aviation plays in the whole economical realm,” he disclosed.

“The GCAA is responsible for the safety and security of our travelling public, but we are also involved on the economic side. (GCAA) pro-

Commerce on Regent Street has seen a boost from foreign nationals

vides as much as 3.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, and provides jobs for over 12,000 individuals,” Field declared. Giving a breakdown of the figures, Director of Air Transport Management, Saheed Sulaman, said the sector created 900 jobs in training and transport; some 2,010 jobs were indirectly created; and the combination of direct and indirect employment created more than 3,000 jobs.

The monetary value of aviation on sectors was also analysed and split.

The study determined that the direct impact on sectors amounted to $1.6 billion, the indirect impact was pegged at $3.8 billion, and the induced impact was pegged

at $1.3 billion. Altogether, Sulaman said, this amounts to $6.8 billion.

Then there is the labour income, which was worked out to be $3.3 billion.

Foreigners

The report concluded that the aviation sector is integral to tourism, besides playing an important role in providing support for gold mining and other sectors. The report determined that more than 8,000 tourism-related jobs were created by the aviation sector, and there were more than 200,000 arrivals in Guyana for 2015, earning Guyana $2 billion from travel tax payments for that year. turn to page 16

15

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

16 NEWS

friDAY, august 11, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Youth Parliament

Students challenging decisions of policymakers – Govt side of House wins debate

A

fter taking on the role of parliamentarians for just about four days, 40 secondary school students from nine administrative regions took to the highest house in the nation to debate their views on pressing matters of national interest.

The sitting of the 3rd annual Youth Parliament culminated on a high note on Thursday, as young enthusiasts assumed the responsibilities of policymakers, questioning the decision and presenting recommendations towards the resolution of four significant issues, currently at the forefront of politics in Guyana.

The topics deliberated this year included the proposed cap on Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, the prevention of suicide, Guyana/Venezuela boarder controversy, and the construction of a local oil refinery as Guyana tries to establish itself as a major oil and gas hub.

Following wearisome preparations and dedication to their debates, the youths buried their apprehensions as they boldly took the stance, one after the other. The debate kicked off with heated presentations from both the delegated Opposition and Government representatives with regard to the capping on

CSEC subjects.

The opposing team posited that students needed to be consulted before a decision can be made to limit the number of subjects they are allowed to write. They further lambasted the Government for producing no substantial data to support the need to implement this policy, especially since the decision would infringe upon the rights of youth.

“How can you make the decision about someone’s welfare and not involve them in the decisionmaking process?” the designated Opposition Leader questioned in the House.

She further sought to solidify her argument by asserting that if the Government is free to impose upon the rights of youth, then nothing is stopping the real criminals – such as rapists and traffickers – from acting in like manner.

In response, the designated Prime Minister, in her presentation, justified the proposal of the policy indicating that several valid reasons were available – including claims that children who partake in writing too many subjects at CSEC are faced with great discomfort contributing to mental illness.

She told the proxy National Assembly that placing a cap on the subjects would allow

Best Speaker, Sherlyn Semple

Best Debater, Tyriq Scott

more time for extra-curricular activities and not hinder the development of much need necessary social skills.

However, much to the obvious displeasure of the designated Opposition, she posited that there was no need to consult or more specifically “burden” young people with the responsibility of making such a significant decision since they are “not allowed to vote” nor do they possess the maturity to comprehend the process.

As the debates took an even more intricate turn, the Opposition brought their arguments on the topic of suicide to the table.

Questions were posed

to the governing side of the House as to why – when the leading cause of death in Guyana is suicide – there is only one mental health facility in the country, especially given that it has been out of commission for several years.

Furthermore, it was probed as to why only six psychiatrists were available at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

They also slammed Government for the National Suicide Prevention Strategy plan which was implemented under this very Administration and has only been able to accomplish a quarter of its objectives.

As such, they called on the relevant authorities to heighten their approach towards the prevention of suicide in Guyana while re-enforcing the topic of Health and Family Life Education in the education sector. Meanwhile, Government maintained that efforts are already in place in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and as such, statistics have shown an almost 50 per cent decrease in the country’s suicide rate in Guyana today,

compared to past years.

Again, she firmly asserted that current measures undertaken to aid in suicide prevention throughout the nation have proven to be effective.

Meanwhile, the debate then shifted to the longstanding border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, to which both parties echo similar sentiments.

The delegated Opposition commenced by highlighting that this is a matter of national concern and should not be hindered by partisan opposition. On that note, the Leader of the Opposition pointed out, “We should all be united in defending every square feet that belongs to Guyana.”

She went on to say that the area being claimed by Guyana’s neighbour to the West comprise of 85 per cent of our natural resources and as a result, the matter should not be taken lightly as it threatens the economy as well as national safety.

The opposing leader thereby urged government to call on the United Nations to take up the matter with the International Court of Justice.

The delegated Prime Minister underlined that this matter has been in existence since the 1830s and therefore agreed with the Opposition that a collaborative effort is needed to overcome this national threat. She indicated that they too are calling on the UN to address the issue.

The debate came to an end with a topic on the tongues of every Guyanese; talks of the budding oil and gas industry.

The Opposition tabled the motion advocating for a local oil refinery to be established, asserting that this will create the capacity for more jobs, expertise and money – taking Guyana from being a “developing” country to a “developed” one.

They argued that a small

refinery would be able to produce at least 100,000 barrels of oil, 75,000 of which can be used for exporting purposes.

The designated shadow Finance Minister encouraged the Government to capitalise on training as “Guyana stands to profit more from the refinery of oil” which would enable them to be able to compete on the international market, and open up new sectors.

However, the governing side of the House disagreed.

They posited that an oil refinery – big or small – would not prove to be an effective investment, highlighting that Guyana was not financially stable, being indebted to China. They argued that it took Trinidad and Tobago 55 years after their first drilling to build a refinery, adding that this country “has time.”

The Government side quoted genius, Albert Einstien, stating “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” making reference to the failed rice industry.

Meanwhile, the government successfully debated the four motions during the Youth Parliament. Education Minister Nicolette Henry, the chief judge of a panel of three judges which included Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Hack and Dr Valerie Leung, announced the winners but pointed out the decision was not unanimous.

A statement from the Department of Public Information noted that before announcing the winners, Minister Henry said she was impressed with the quality of the presentations by the 40 secondary school students.

“You all are winners in your own right and we noted that you displayed intelligence, confidence and communication skills,” Minister Henry said. (Ramona Luthi & Ashraf Dabie)

Aviation sector contributed...

“Practically all foreigners coming to Guyana travel by air. In excess of 80 per cent of tourists come to Guyana via air,” Sulaman said. “Every foreigner of course spends money in the economy, and this was captured in the study as part of the 3.2 per cent impact on the GDP. “In terms of what a foreigner spends, they’ve estimated a sum of US$25 per visitor per night. To come up with that figure, they found an average of all visitors. They’ve also quantified the impact on tax revenue -- an estimated $2 billion in revenue.”

The US$25 per tourist is a conservative figure aimed at making up for the number of Guyanese who may be returning visitors -staying with family rather than hotels.

However, the country has, over the past year, witnessed a large influx of

Cuban nationals, who shop in bulk in the city. This has been seen as a welcome development because of the sloth in the economy and reduced spending from local consumers. However, aviation magnate Gerry Gouveia had opined that these numbers are reducing, and that Guyana would have to work to attract the Cubans back to its shores.

Guyana Times last month spoke with several owners of major retail and wholesale outlets along Regent Street, to determine whether in fact fewer Cubans were shopping in Guyana. While some claimed there has not been a decline in the number of Cubans shopping here, most business people have reported noticing the decline over the past month or two.

A prominent Regent Street clothing businessman told this newspa-

from page 14

per that many Cubans still shop at his store.

Requesting anonymity, the businessman admitted that Cubans have been helping to boost profits for his business, and have indeed been keeping other businesses afloat, given their heavy influx over the past several months.

A businesswoman also told this newspaper she was convinced that the declining numbers given by Gouveia might be accurate, since the number of flights bringing Cubans to Guyana have been significantly reduced. In addition, she is seeing fewer Cubans on Regent Street and in other shopping areas in the city.

EasySky Airlines reported in November 2016 that it was taking 300 Cubans to Guyana each week to conduct business, mainly to shop large quantities of clothing and electronic and other items.

friDAY, August 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Trump to North Korea: Be very, very nervous

P

resident Donald Trump has warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" if it does anything to the US. He said the regime would be in trouble "like few nations have ever been" if they do not "get their act together".

His comments came after Pyongyang announced it had a plan to fire four missiles near the US territory of Guam. Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent weeks after North Korea tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.

The UN recently approved further economic sanctions against Pyongyang as a result of its nuclear weapons programme.

Speaking on Thursday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump also offered an olive branch, saying the US would always consider negotiations.

The Republican president said his own statements had not been tough

17

Trump says his earlier warning to North Korea "wasn't tough enough"

enough on Pyongyang, despite his threat this week to rain "fire and fury" upon the regime.

Pyongyang earlier dismissed the US President's dire warnings as "nonsense".

But Trump doubled down on Thursday, saying: "It's about time someone stood up for the people of our country." Trump railed against previous US Administrations for being too weak on North Korea, adding that the tiny dictatorship's pursuit of nuclear

weapons was a "tragedy".

He also chided China, saying they could do "a lot more" to intervene on the Korean peninsula. When asked if there was a possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Pyongyang, Trump said: "We don't talk about that. We never do."

But he said: "I will tell you this, if North Korea does anything in terms of even thinking about attack of anybody that we love or we represent or our allies or us they can be very, very nervous. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa' dies at 87 R

uth Pfau, a German doctor and nun who dedicated her life to eradicating leprosy in Pakistan and has been described as the country's Mother Teresa, has died in Karachi at 87.

She died in hospital after being admitted on Friday, her order said.

Pfau witnessed leprosy in Pakistan for the first time in 1960 and returned to set up clinics across the country. Because of her efforts, Pakistan in 1996 became one of the first countries in Asia to be declared free of leprosy.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Pfau "may have been born in Germany, but her heart was always in Pakistan."

Harald Meyer-Porzky from the Ruth Pfau Foundation in WĂźrzburg said Pfau had "given hundreds of thousands of people a life of dignity."

Pfau was born in Leipzig in 1929 and saw her

home destroyed by bombing during World War II. She studied medicine and was later sent to southern India by her order, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, but a visa issue

She trained Pakistani doctors and attracted foreign donations, founding Pakistan's National Leprosy Control Programme and the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre,

Ruth Pfau is shown with Pakistani flood victims in 2010.

meant she became stuck in Karachi, where she first became aware of leprosy.

Pfau rescued disfigured and suffering children who had been confined to caves and cattle pens for years by their parents, who were terrified that they were contagious.

which has a presence in every Pakistani province.

Her last rites will be performed on Aug. 19 at St Patrick's Church in Karachi and she will then be buried at the Gora Qabristan Christian cemetery in the city. (Excerpt from MSN)

Ousted Venezuelan prosecutor says she fears for her life, will keep fighting

V

enezuela's ousted Chief Prosecutor said on Thursday she fears for her life and is on the run, but will keep fighting for democracy and freedom in the country after being fired by a controversial new legislative superbody.

Luisa Ortega, who broke with President NicolĂĄs Maduro in late March and became a vocal critic of his unpopular leftist government, spoke to Reuters at a secret location in Caracas after being fired by the constituent assembly on Saturday.

The pro-government Supreme Court has also said that a trial could begin against her but she has not formally been charged.

Still, the 59-year-old said she remained in hiding, moving between safe houses at least once a day, because she feared being ar-

bitrarily thrown in jail amid an increasing breakdown of due process under Maduro.

"I do not know what dark intentions and dark plans they may have, not only to deprive me of my freedom, but also deprive me of my life," said Ortega,

sitting on a sofa in a safe house.

"I'm being permanently persecuted. There's always a car following me, stopping where I stop, people taking photos of me and the places I go." On Saturday, Ortega's office was surrounded by govern-

ment troops and she was barred from entering. She fled on the back of a motorbike before being fired formally by the pro-government constituent assembly on its first day of work.

Critics called the dismissal an affront to democracy.

(Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, august 11, 2017

ARCHIE

An emotional incident will lead to overreaction. Before (March 21- you do or say something you April 19) may regret, think again. A physical activity or challenge will help alleviate stress.

ARIES

Don’t let anger take the TAURUS reins. If you protect your cash (April 20- and possessions, you will May 20) avoid being taken advantage of. Invest in yourself, not in someone else.

dilbert

A partnership will suffer GEMINI (May 21- if honesty is lacking on one or June 20) both sides. Don’t lead someone on or take advantage of a situation or let anyone do so in return.

Take note of what others

CANCER are doing. Use diplomacy to al(June 21- ter a situation that you find too July 22) obscure or intrusive. Know your

Peanuts

boundaries and limitations.

Avoid overreacting or giving in to indulgent tendencies.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Calvin and Hobbes

Mix business with pleasure. Making travel plans or socializing with people who have similar goals will stimulate you to try harder and do better. Explore your options and initiate change.

Deal with personal financVIRGO (Aug. 23- es or negotiate an outdated Sept. 22) contract. Positive changes at home will result in a higher standard of living. Say no to anyone putting unreasonable demands on you.

LIBRA Participate in events (Sept. 23- geared toward your concerns.

Oct. 23) Don’t let an emotional matter ruin your plans. Channel your energy into what matters and the things that will bring about positive change.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Don’t let someone else’s braSCORPIO vado stifle your chance to ad(Oct. 24- vance. Let your intelligence and Nov. 22) experience help you outshine

any opponent who challenges you. Personal change will lead to greater opportunity.

False information or direcSAGITTARIUS tion will send you on a wild (Nov. 23- goose chase. Get the facts and Dec. 21) don’t rely on anyone to take care of your responsibilities or help you achieve your goals.

You’ll be anxious to get

CAPRICORN things done. Don’t let impul(Dec. 22- siveness take control and result Jan. 19) in mistakes that will slow you

solution for Last Published Puzzle

down. Positive personal change will be a result of nurturing an important relationship.

An opportunity to get inAQUARIUS volved in a joint venture can (Jan. 20- change your life and liveliFeb. 19) hood. An enthusiastic physical contribution will seal the deal.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Live within your means.

PISCES Indulgence, overspending or (Feb. 20March 20) hanging out with people who are bad influences will leave you in a vulnerable position.

Take better care of your emotional and physical health.

friDAY, august 11, 2017

S

Hosts riddled with problems ahead of 3rd Test in Pallekele

ri Lanka are flirting with an embarrassing series whitewash in the third Test against India from Saturday as they struggle with problems on and off the pitch which have thrown the team into turbulence.

A series of poor results, the early departure of their coach and accusations against players and the country’s cricket chief have made for a difficult few months for the former oneday world champions.

Sri Lanka, lampooned by fans and described as pot-bellied by their sports minister, cannot afford a third loss to top-ranked India in Pallekele, following their crushing defeats in Galle and Colombo.

They have not been helped by a succession of injuries, capped by a back problem which has sidelined their number one bowler, Rangana Herath, for the third Test.

Paceman Nuwan Pradeep could bowl only 17.4 overs in Colombo before pulling out with a hamstring injury, and all-rounder Asela Gunaratne are already out of the series.

Sri Lanka failed to reach the semi-finals of the eightteam Champions Trophy in June, and then lost their coach when Graham Ford quit mid-contract.

Worse was to come when they humiliatingly went down 3-2 in a home one-

Dimuth Karunaratne (C) is watched by Wriddhiman Saha (R) as he plays a shot during the fourth day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and India

day series to bottom-ranked Zimbabwe.

Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga, a government minister, told AFP that he blamed Sri Lanka’s losses on cricket chief Thilanga Sumathipala, and accused him of links to gambling -- a claim Sumathipala denies.

There have also been reports of attempts to approach Sri Lankan players for alleged match-fixing.

‘Mental state’

Skipper Dinesh Chandimal, who missed the first Test with pneumonia, says a consolation victory over India would help put the smiles back on his players’ faces.

“If we can win even one

match against a team like this (India), we will be able to really boost the mental state in the team. They are the number one team,” said Chandimal.

“We need to pick up the positives and look forward to the next game.”

There are no such problems for Virat Kohli, who became the only India captain to win two Test series in Sri Lanka as his side smashed first innings of 600 and more in the opening two Tests.

Cheteshwar Pujara leads India’s run-scorers with two centuries and an average of more than 100 in India’s three innings so far.

India’s bowlers have also shone with spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin top-

ping the wicket-takers’ chart with 13 and 11 respectively.

Jadeja is suspended for the third Test for a dangerous throw, with Axar Patel brought in as his like-forlike replacement in the India squad.

Despite their form, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha insists India are taking nothing for granted.

“We haven’t thought about 3-0. Our process is match by match,” he said.

“We are ahead by 2-0, so in the next match the aim is to give similar performance as last two matches as a team in batting, bowling and fielding. We will try to be consistent and if we do then we can win.” (HindustanTimes)

Jamaican sprinting in trouble without Bolt ‒ Blake

J

Yohan Blake

amaican sprinter Yohan Blake believes the country’s dominance of the sprint events could falter following the exit of the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.

Bolt, the dominant force in athletics for the last 10 years, has promised to step aside following the London World Championships.

The 30-year-old is however only halfway through the door and it seems the dominance that the Caribbean country has enjoyed for the better part of a decade could already be under threat from traditional sprint powerhouse’s the United States.

For once the big Jamaican himself failed to deliver on the world stage, finishing third in the men’s 100m final behind Americans Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman.

Since then there have been a number of disastrous results with heavy favourite Elaine Thompson not only failing to claim

19

Questions over Miller-Uibo fitness ahead of 200 semis

S

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

haunae Miller-Uibo’s mother has insisted the athlete is not injured but their are questions over whether or not she would have recovered enough to get out of her IAAF World Championships of Athletics 200-metre semi-final.

Miller-Uibo, with a 21.91 national record this season, should be the class of the field in the semi-final heat, where she has Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji, 22.42, and the United States’ Bianca Williams, season’s best 22.54, who could push her into uncomfortable territory.

In the 200 metre semi-final for men on Wednesday, South African favourite Wayde van Niekerk, struggled after his exploits in the 400 the day before and only qualified for the final as one of the fastest losers.

Miller-Uibo exerted herself even more than did van Niekerk, who was comfortable in the 400 final he won.

Jamaica’s Simone Facey, 22.74 this season,

the women’s 100m gold but missing the podium entirely, an event won by American Torie Bowie. Yohan, Blake who was fourth in the 100m final, then failing to qualify for the 200m final. The event marked the first time since 2003 that the Jamaicans had no representation in the men’s 200m final, unfamiliar territory for the dominant Caribbean island.

“A little. The big man’s leaving and there’s a lot riding on our shoulders. So far I’m still the man in Jamaica, the fastest this year. I want to keep focused and keep getting my times better. If I run more races, I think I’ll be much better,” Blake said.

“The guys have to really step up. Of course, I do too. It was a very disappointing championship for me.”

Blake will team up with Bolt for the men’s 4x100m final. (SportsMax)

and Trinidad and Tobago’s Semoy Hackett, 22.77, are also looking to follow the Bahamian into the final.

In heat one, Facey’s teammate, Sashalee Forbes, has work to do if she is to get into the final with the likes of the Netherland’s Dafne Schippers and the United States’ Deejah Stevens, the favourites for the two automatic qualification spots in that race. The Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan, with a season’s best of 22.84 might find getting into the final from lane nine a bridge too far.

Marie Josee Ta Lou, should lead all comers in heat three of the event, with Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain looking to follow her into the final.

The Bahamas, with Tynia Gaither will look for another place in the final, while Jamaica’s Jodean Williams may be out of her depth.

These semi-finals could produce another half-lap final without any Jamaicans.

(SportsMax)

Usain Bolt

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

Neymar’s debut in French league could be delayed again P

ARIS (AP) It’s been nearly a week since Neymar landed in Paris, and the world’s most expensive player still can’t play for his new club in the French league.

Neymar’s world-record 222 million euros ($262 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris SaintGermain was completed last week, but the Brazil international has yet to be granted permission to play.

PSG wanted Neymar to start the season at the Parc des Princes last week against Amiens but his debut was delayed because his international transfer certificate (ITC) had not been received by the French league on time.

Neymar was unveiled to the PSG fans on Saturday, but watched from the stands as his new team started its league campaign with a 2-0 win.

The former Santos player was then expected to play on

Sunday night at Guingamp at the 18,000-capacity Stade du Roudourou, but PSG fans might have to wait a bit longer to see the star in action.

The French league said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that it had not received the document needed from the Spanish federation. It added the deadline for receiving the document was midnight local time.

The French league added that it “does not understand” why its Spanish counterpart “refuses to accept the payment for the buyout clause for Neymar.”

There has been speculation in France that Barcelona slowed down the whole process as a retaliation measure against PSG after the French league club lured one of their its players out of the Camp Nou. According to French newspaper L’Equipe, PSG is unlikely to ask FIFA to rule on the issue because

it could slow down proceedings further. The club did not immediately answer a message from The Associated Press seeking comments.

Asked about his views on the issue after the Amiens game, PSG coach Unai Emery said last week he was not sure “Spain did everything” to ensure Neymar would be cleared to play for PSG without delay.

French football federation president Noel Le Graet said another reason for the delay could be the current turmoil within the Spanish federation. Angel Maria Villar, who ran the Spanish soccer federation since 1988, was suspended from the presidency for one year in July by Spain’s top sports authority for his suspected involvement in a case of misappropriation of private and public funds received by the federation since 2009.

“I don’t need to tell you that the

Spanish federation is having some problems at the moment,” Le Graet told L’Equipe. “The transfer is complete, so this should not last.”

In any case, the paperwork issues have left Neymar unfazed. He has making the most of his time off to head to SaintTropez, where he has been photographed partying with friends. Neymar has since returned to training with his teammates.

Turkey's Guliyev stuns field to win 200 metres Ramil Guliyev

R

amil Guliyev, representing Turkey after switching allegiance from Azerbaijan, pulled off a shock 200 meters victory at the World Championships on Thursday, edging an emotional favorite Wayde van Niekerk into second place in a blanket finish.

The 27-year-old Guliyev, who had never won a medal in a senior global event, finished just the stronger to triumph in 20.09 seconds before setting off on a lap of honor carrying the flags of both of his nations.

South African Van Niekerk, who took the 400m title on Tuesday, had been seeking to match American Michael Johnson's achievement of doing the 200/400m double at the Gothenburg worlds in 1995, but had to settle for silver in 20.11 seconds.

Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago was given the same time but was relegated to third by one thousandth of a second.

Isaac Makwala of Botswana, the crowd favorite after his illness travails initially saw him barred from competing this week, started strongly but faded to sixth.

In the absence of Usain Bolt, who had won the event in the last four championships, it always looked a wide open

race, but even with the most level playing field for a decade, few were looking at lane five for the likely winner.

Van Niekerk, Makwala, Richards and U.S. duo Isiah Young and Ameer Webb all looked stronger on paper, while the home crowd also focused on local favorite Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake, who eventually came through for fourth.

Those with a keen athletics eye might point to the fact that Guliyev’s junior best is second only to Bolt's but, after a decade of minor medals in minor championships, and at the age of 27, his chances of global gold looked slim to say the least.

Guliyev, who became a Turkish citizen in 2011 and was cleared to represent his new country in 2013, did fire out a warning in the semi-finals when he won his heat ahead of Webb and Van Niekerk and, though he slipped into the final pretty much under the radar, he had been confident all along.

"This is not a shock," he said. "But it does not feel real.

"I have shown my best throughout this competition. I delivered my best race at the right time. I'm so happy to be world champion. This is the best moment of my career.

(Reuters)

Table Tennis Jamaica lacks funds to stage national champs

T

able Tennis Jamaica (TTJ) is in need of approximately $1.8 million to stage their annual National Junior and Senior Championships from August 11-13 inside the National Arena. Godfrey Lothian, president of TTJ, said he was surprised when he got news from Independence Park Limited (IPL) on Tuesday that they will have to come forward with $1.77 million in order to use the venue.

He explained that he had a meeting with IPL last Thursday about the use of the venue.

“This has now put the TTJ in a bit of worry to find that money to stage the National Junior and Senior Table Tennis Championships inside the National Arena. Both parties had worked on one price to stage all three events there, and now we can only stage the Hope Camp and the Caribbean Pre-Cadet activities there if we are unable to find the money,”

Lothian said.

The president outlined that the budget to stage all three events as well as to host the overseas contingent stands at approximately $8 million, and the association can only afford to fork out $6 million.

“If we are not able to get the additional $1.8 million, we will have to find other facilities such as University of Technology or GC Foster College if they are available to stage the National Junior and Senior Table Tennis Championships,” said Lothian, who added that a postponement for the national championships may be on the cards should they fail to come up with the funds.

“Everything was put in place and all the players from the rural parishes have already made arrangements to get some place to stay in Kingston, but I am hoping that someone will come forward and assist us with the $1.8 million,” he noted.

(JamaicaObserver)

sports

CLASSIFIED ADS

Tallawahs rally to upend Knight Riders

friday, august 11, 2017 www.guyanatimesgy.com

ACCOMMODATIONS Conferences and retreats – full service: Hotel, Catering & Facilities.

Aracari Resort WBD – 264-2946 Alex Wayne Weddings and anniversaries: Rental or full service: Banquet Hall & Catering. Aracari Resort 264-2946 Alex Wayne Aracari Hotel, WBD (Near Harbour Bridge) – All modern amenities, rates from $25. Phone 264-2946-8

FOR RENT Furnished apartment at lot 3E Public road, East Coast Demerara Contact 234-0302 Whatsapp 347-285-8250

LAND for sale No. 7 Village, West Coast Berbice.

86’ x 317’ Located on Public Road. $34 M. Neg. 622-6473 Raj, 648-6873 Bernard, 661-4604 Veronica

property for sale One two-flat building painted, equipped with lights, telephone, water, two overhead black tanks, two sheds and one outside bathroom.

Upper flat green heart wood, three bedrooms, veranda, inside and outside step. Bottom flat concrete inside, toilet and bathroom, one room, place to cook and eat with sink. Price $7M. Lot 218 Patenia Housing Scheme, Wales. Tel: 610-8963

SALON / SPA COSMETOLOGY – FULL COURSE $100,000. TECHNICIAN $40,000.

Aracari Salon & Spa, WBD 264-3312, 600-3927

services Attention all Patriotic Guyanese and overseas visitors in Guyana.

Greetings, interested in helping to developed yourself and this country? For a better tomorrow please contact Wesley Browne. Tel: 6963030 or wensey4life@gmail.com

spirituality & ASTROLOGY Surinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 651-9663/600-7719.

taxi services GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 2257878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

TO LET Furnished 3-bedroom upstairs at 57 Turkeyen, US$700. Peter 2563887/693-1832

VEHICLES FOR SALE Toyota Allion PSS series. 2003 model $1.8M negotiable. Contact 681-3004

NOT RECEIVING YOUR

DAILY & SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

GUYANA TIMES in your area?

Contact our

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 35

A

brilliant bowling recovery from the Jamaica Tallawahs that instigated a dramatic batting collapse from the Trinbago Knight Riders was the key to the Tallawahs recording a four-wicket victory in Match 7 of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League.

After the Knight Riders had been sent into bat by the Tallawahs a sensational opening half of the innings saw them race to 109 for 2 after just 9.5 overs.

However, they scored just 38 from the next ten overs and were bowled out with one ball to spare. The target of 148 proved too few for the Tallawahs who calmly managed a tight run chase, edging to the target with four balls to spare.

In the first half of the Knight Riders innings, the new ball appeared to come onto the bat nicely and their powerful top-order of Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro and Darren Bravo feasted on some full bowling.

That should take nothing away from the brilliance of the Knight Riders batsmen whose stroke play was breathtaking early on. McCullum’s fast hands, Narine’s nonchalant flicks and drives, Munro’s strength and Bravo’s elegant power plundered an astonishing 12 fours and six sixes in the first ten overs of the innings.

In a sign of things to come, both Narine and McCullum were dismissed by off-cutters. After Munro was caught on the long-on boundary from the penultimate ball of the first half of the innings the pace of the match was transformed.

Suddenly the Tallawahs pulled things back with a series of tight overs. Given their fast start, the Knight Riders initially seemed content to regroup, but when they looked to push on once more they found runs far harder to come by. It seemed that as the innings progressed the dew on the ground made the ball softer and harder to hit.

In the latter half of the innings, the Knight Riders batsmen struggled to time the ball as the Tallawahs bowlers – led by Kesrick

Boyce & Jefford Classic

Mutenkanga to do battle with USVI’s Smith

T

he International Men’s 800m race at this weekend’s Kares Engineering Inc. Boyce & Jefford Classic has been injected with excitement with the confirmation of United States Virgin Islands (USVI) middle distance Phenom, Malique Smith.

Smith has a personal best time of 1:51.90s, which is better than all Guyanese 800m athletes this year. The USVI athlete ran the time at the Aliann Pompey Invitational, winning the 800m title. He will face keen rivalry from Uganda’s Olympian Julius Mutenkanga.

In addition to Mutenkanga, Smith will clash with defending champ, United Statesbased Kevin Bayley and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ashton Gill in what promises to be one of the highlights of the 2017 Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic.

Mutenkanga boasts a personal best time of 1:46.30s which he ran at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in 2011 in Daegu.

The loaded 800m final scheduled for Sunday also features Samuel Lynch, Quincy Morian and Afernee Headecker among others. The race is also likely to include Desmond Amsterdam and Daniel Melville.

Smith is a member of the St. Croix Track Club and an honor student/athlete of the

Kesrick Williams brings out his celebratory notebook (Getty Images)

Williams, Mohammad Sami and Odean Smith – dragged their lengths back and resorted to cutters and slower balls.

As the runs dried up the Knight Riders batsmen only swung harder but with little reward: in the second half of their innings they only hit two boundaries – one of them a top-edge over the wicket-keeper’s head. While runs were in short supply, wickets were not: seven of them fell in the second half

of the innings as TKR desperately hit-out.

The Tallawahs – like the Knight Riders before them – made an excellent start to their innings, finding the new ball easier to hit. Lendl Simmons and Kumar Sangakkara’s 61run opening partnership came in just 5.3 overs.

When Simmons and then Andre McCarthy were dismissed in quick succession, the match threatened to take another turn as

21

Knight Riders spin-twins, Narine and Shadab Khan, were deployed in the middle overs. However, after Sangakkara was dismissed off a no ball against Narine he put on 59 for the next two wickets with Rovman Powell and Shakib Al Hasan to keep the Tallawahs in control.

The increasingly softer ball meant that boundaries were hard to come by and even with a run-a-ball needed it seemed that a series of dots could turn the match.

When Sangakkara was caught at long off with the Tallawahs still 25 shy of the target the Knight Riders, buoyed by vocal home support, seemed to believe that they could still win.

While boundaries were indeed harder to come by they were not impossible to find and when Jonathan Foo inside edged a four and then slammed a six over long-on that was parried over the rope by Shadab Khan the Tallawahs finally got home.

RHTY&SC congratulates members on National Under-19 success

USVI’s Malique Smith will be competing in the International 800m at the Boyce and Jefford Classic this weekend

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB). He earned all-conference honors on the track and in cross-country at UAPB. The line- up for the 800 metres final is expected to put the event’s six year old record under threat. in the Boyce/Jefford International 800m Men is that the 2011 record of 1:55.90s is definitely under threat.

The Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic VIII is sponsored by Kares Engineering Inc., Ansa McAl under it Lucozade and Stag Beer brands, The National Sports Commission, The Guyana Revenue Authority, Red Wing Shoes at VSH United, R&D Engineering, Mohamed’s Enterprise, K&B Mining, YK Investments Pawn Shop and Antarctic Maintenance and Repairs.

The Guyana team which recently won the regional female U-19 tournament

T

he Management of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS offered congratulation to the Guyana Under-19 Female Cricket Team for their championship victory in Trinidad.

In a release the club applauded the performance of the young team while singling out Shabika Gajnabi for her outstanding leadership.

“Special mention must be made of our eight members who made up more than half of the team while we must acknowledge the outstanding leadership of our member Shabika Gajnabi who led by example on and off the cricket field,” the release stated.

“We have always instilled in our members that success only comes through

hard work, dedication and faith in god.

The girls have done all of us proud and together they are the result of a carefully planned cricket development programme which allows them to fulfill their true potential.

The Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, is the only cricket club in Guyana to have a female cricket team.

Management of the club also expressed gratitude to Avia Lindie and Metro Office Supplies for their investment into the female team which has produced a huge pool for Berbice, Guyana and West Indies Female cricket.

The Club would also be honouring eight female members and Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Sylus Tyndall and Kevin Sinclair who represented Guyana at the junior level during 2017.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

fridAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

Goodwill Swim Meet

Top 3 finish not realistic – national coach

W

ith the XXIII Goodwill Swim Meet just nine days away, head Coach of the National Team Sean Baksh contended that there will not be a miraculous change in the country’s fortunes at the event.

Responding to question at a recent interview whether host Guyana can produce a one to three overall finish, the coach replied in the negative.

“Realistically no but we are hoping to do a whole lot better than we did last year. Improve on our point standings and have more medals,” Baksh said.

Last year Guyana produced a team of 29 swimmers when the event was held in St Lucia, and came back with 15 medals, including three golds.

However, Guyana finished sixth, out of six countries.

The Land of Many Waters has a dismal performance history at the developmental event, which was originally designed for swimmers from the participating countries who have not yet competed at higher levels of regional competition.

The 40-member team has been going through gruelling preparations for the last two weeks at the National Aquatic centre, Liliendaal, the venue for the meet.

“We are doing a lot of speed work to bring it up to par. We are really working hard to get them up to par. Eight and under swimmers are our weakest and we cannot do anything about that since they are now getting in the pool, but the others will do well”, the coach declared.

Though holistically there is not

By Michelangelo Jacobus

A

ll systems are in place, we’ve been having good weather all week, the (Mackenzie Sports Club) ground was marked and rolled and this year’s edition will be one of the best in years.”

This was revealed to Guyana Times Sports by

Some of the swimmers go through their paces at the National Aquatic Centre in preparation for the Goodwill swim meet

much optimism, the coach sees great promise from some swimmers, who he touts to break records.

“Based on entries that have arrived we are ranking high and the likes of Leon Seaton, Jadyn George, Aleka Persaud, Alex Winter, Joseph DeNobrega among some others we are in line for a few medals and I believe we will a few records that will fall in our benefit,” Baksh added.

Given that for most of the individual events Guyana will be fielding three swimmers (the limit); the experienced coach is cognisant of the importance of

the relay teams turning in good performances, since it will gather crucial points.

“Our 15-17 boys are good and we are working on our 13-14 girls. A relay team is only as strong as weakest swimmer”, he posited.

The Swim Meet would be held from August 18 to 21 with swimmers coming from the meet’s core countries – Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Barbados, and St Lucia – while Bahamas and Grenada will be participating based on invitations extended

by Guyana.

– CONCACAF U-17 World Cup Qualifiers

H

Team Barbados ready for battle

aving already beaten hosts Guyana convincingly in the opening game on Wednesday; Barbados will today turn their attention to Cuba today at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora, West Coast Demerara.

The second match of Group D bodes to be a keen

a classic; that’s what the Boyce and Jefford Classic is all about, bringing fans classic races.”

While the current 800m meet record stands at 1:55.90s, fans might just see a race under 1:50s, the likes of which has never been seen on local shores.

Meanwhile Linden’s international stand-

contest as Cuba is known for fluid, composed attacking football while Barbados is physically imposing and specialists at set pieces, as proven from their victory against Guyana on Wednesday.

Captain Tia BriggsThompson and midfielder Caitlyn Padmore will be two key players for

Barbados if they are to beat Cuba and top Group D. On Wednesday evening an inexperienced Guyanese side was beaten 5-1 by Barbados through a combination of free-kicks, shaky defending and an own goal.

Guyana came out focused and looked to attack their opposition in the opening minutes of the

game. However, it was not long before lanky midfielder Tiandi Smith would open the scoring for Guyana in the 12th minute through a well taken free-kick from at least 25 yards out.

Smith would go from hero to zero in the 21st minute when she scored an own goal to the dismay of the sizable crowd and her teammates.

Barbados would score another goal through Caitlyn Padmore to leave the score at 2-1 at halftime.

Captain Tia BriggsThompson took expert advantage of pint sized Guyanese custodian with a pair of almost identical free-kicks that sailed over the almost motionless keeper in the 50th and 71st minutes respectively.

Tianna Sealey netted the other goal for Barbados in the 51st minute.

Today’s game between Cuba and Barbados begins at 17:00hrs and admission is free.

Ugandan Julius Mutekanga will be competing in the marquee 800m race this weekend

outs, Daniel Williams and organizer of the Boyce and Chantoba Bright will carry Jefford Classic, Edison the community’s challenge Jefford during an exclusive this weekend. interview.

The two athletes among The eight edition of the others will be representClassic is slated to run off ing the Upper Demerara on Saturday, August 12 and Club under Coach, Johnny will conclude on August 13 Gravesande, and will be at the Mackenzie Sports performing for the first time Club ground in Linden; the since their rise to internapremier athletics event of tional glory after winning the year for Linden boasts several medals. an incredible lineup of interWilliams is an national athletes from eight International Association of different countries thus far.

Athletics Federation (IAAF) “With guys like (Kevin) World Junior silver medBayley, (Julius) Mutekanga alist, which he claimed in and (United States Virgin Kenya recently.

Islands) USVI’s Malique However he will have a Smith things are looking up; stern test from the Police fans can look forward to an and Soldiers, who 800m race packed with qualare registered ity athletes. Bayley who in full force for is the defending 800m the events with champion has said that their top athhe is not taking anything letes, including for granted, we have the Davin Fraser, local boys (Samuel( Lynch Akeem Stewart and (Anfernee) Headecker who will also be looking to stamp their names on the event” Jefford noted.

The organizer pointed out that 800 metre race will be the signature event of the meeting.

“While Son of the soil Daniel Williams most athwill be on show this weekend in letics meets are Linden headlined by the sprint events, the 800m will be the marquee race of the Boyce and Jefford Championships, it will be

23

guyanatimesgy.com

friDAY, august 11, 2017

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017

Warriors hunting win against indifferent TKR

By Akeem Greene

G

uyana Amazon Warriors and arch rivals Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) will meet this evening in a blockbuster match nine clash of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Warriors, who are three-time finalist in the five years of the gala tournament, enter this crucial fixture on the back of two heart-rending defeats at the hands of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Florida.

In both matches, their batting failed to muster the potential it has on paper. In their first match captain Martin Guptill looked the most fluent at the top-order but a sore hamstring prevented his participation in the second match.

At the pre-match conference on Thursday, Guptill stated that the team is well-prepared for the match, given that they have had some good practice sessions.

Commenting on the two losses, the captain contended

Gibson favourite to be named new South Africa coach F

ormer West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson has been recommended for the job of new South African head coach claims the team’s Test cricket captain Faf du Plessis.

Gibson, who coached the regional team between 2010 and 2014, has been given the nod ahead of incumbent Russell Domingo whose contract will expire next month.

Domingo reportedly re-applied for the position but according to reports, a specially convened selection panel has chosen to move in another direction.

“It’s been told to us that the decision has been made by the coaching panel,” Du Plessis told reporters.

“They’ve chosen Ottis Gibson as their recommendation and now, the board

decides whether they want to use that recommendation or not.”

Gibson, who led the West Indies to the T20 World Cup in 2014 was fired by the Cricket West Indies (CWI) soon afterward, with the board claiming they had lost confidence in the coach.

For the most part, however, Du Plessis claims opinions on Gibson, who also served as England bowling coach, have been positive.

“I spoke to a few of the West Indian players because he was their coach and then I spoke to the English guys about their thoughts on him,” Du Plessis said.

“There were one or two differences in opinion, but the comments were positive.” (SportsMax)

that “sometimes you don’t win every match. The spirit is good in the camp. We are keen on being positive and adapting quickly to the conditions”.

Mystery leg-spinner Rashid Khan has yet to make the expected impact given his exploits on the international circuit.

“Things have not gone how he [Rashid Khan] would have wanted thus far. We are just encouraging him to do well. He has a good head and will do well”, the skipper added.

Wicket keeper/ batsman Chadwick Walton has been the team’s highest run-getter to date but has failed to convert his starts into more significant scores and at a faster rate.

Jason Mohammed, who had a sensational 2016 season, will need to return to his best and solidify the middle-order. Talented Pakistani batsman Babar Azam has shown signs of producing classy innings but also needs to move on from his starts.

All-rounders Sohail Tanveer, Keemo Paul (Warriors’ most economical bowler) are expected to play more crucial

Sunil Narine provides a serious threat with both bat and ball

roles by adding the late fire power with the bat.

Meanwhile, the home-side, arguably the strongest team on paper, has produced some in-different performances.

After batting the St. Lucia Stars out of their first two contest, they produced a train-wreck batting performance in the their last match against the Jamaica Tallawahs to suffer their first lost in three matches.

Cadwick Walton

Head Coach Simon Katich contended that it was “a quite a funny game. We did a lot of things really well, we played a good game up top the 10 over then lost our way, the guys learned a lot from that,” Katich said “We will be hungry to dwell against Guyana and it is a good attack since they have some really good bowlers,” the coach added.

The threat for TKR lies in their power packed top-order which includes, Brendon McCullum, Collin Munro, Darren Bravo and new pinch-hitter Sunil Narine.

Leg spinner Shadab Khan looked threating in previous games and also packs a punch with bat in hand. Khan has the support of the crafty Dwayne Bravo and Kevon Copper along with quickie Ronsford Beaton.

Tonight’s match is expected to bowl-off at 21:00 hrs which makes dew a critical factor. The teams have met 10 times in the tournament with honours being shared even.

The Warriors have only won twice in Trinidad since the tournament began in 2013.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad: Martin Guptill (captain), Sohail Tanvir, Chadwick Walton, Babar Azam, Rayad Emrit, Rashid Khan, Jason Mohammed, Steven Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Roshan Primus, Gajanand Singh, Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Steven Jacobs, Steven Ketwaroo, Keemo Paul, Muhammad Ali Khan.

Trinbago Knight Riders Squad: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Hashim Amla, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan, Khary Pierre, Ronsford Beaton, Javon Searles, Nikita Miller, William Perkins, Kevon Cooper, Anderson Phillip Hamza Tariq, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Robert Frylinck.

CPL ticket office opening hours extended

Jamaica jumps 19 places in latest FIFA rankings

Warriors vs Barbados Tridents – Sunday August 20 at 18:00h Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St. Lucia Stars – Tuesday August 22 at 18:00h

‒ Haiti still Caribbean’s top team

J

amaica’s Reggae Boyz have been rewarded for a strong performance in the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup with a spike in the latest FIFA World Rankings.

The Jamaicans moved a satisfactory 19 places in the latest listings, which put the team 57th in the world and fifth best in CONCACAF. Mexico continues to top the region’s top ranked team at 14th, followed by Costa Rica at 21, with the USA next on 26.

Haiti next at 55 remains the region’s top ranked team,

despite dropping six places. Also losing ground on the FIFA rankings charts is Trinidad and Tobago who slipped five places to 83.

The Jamaicans who fielded a mostly inexperienced team to the Gold Cup had another strong run in the latest edition beating Canada in the quarterfinals and Mexico in the semifinals before losing a closely contested final 2-1 to the United States. The ranking is the team’s highest since 2015.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Squad

T

The fans have been rushing to get early grab at their tickets

he Caribbean Premier League has announce extended opening hours of the Ticket Office in Guyana as the Hero CPL matches scheduled for Providence draw closer.

Patrons may pick up their tickets between 08:30h and 08:00h. Monday to Friday and 09:00h to 13:00h. on Saturday and

Sunday.

The public is being reminded that there is reserved seating for all matches. Therefore, cricket fans are encouraged to buy tickets early to avoid the last minute rush.

Tickets are;

Red Stand - $5000 Green Stand - $5000 Orange Stand - $3000

Grass Mound - $2500

Matches;

Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs – Thursday August 17 at 18:00h Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders – Saturday August 19 at 12:00h (noon) Guyana Amazon

31 Martin Guptill 51 Rayad Emrit 33 Sohail Tanveer 59 Chadwick Walton 56 Babar Azam 19 Rashid Khan 3 Jason Mohammed 8 Steven Taylor 94 Veerasammy Permaul 69 Roshon Primus 46 Gajanand Singh 15 Assad Fudadin 13 Steven Jacobs 34 Keon Joseph 11 Steven Katwaroo 17 Keemo Paul 7 Muhammad Ali Khan

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 21

Man-of-the-match Kesrick Williams bowled brilliantly to pull it back for the Tallawahs

Tallawahs rally to upend Knight Riders

Captain Kumar Sangakkara played a gem of innings at the top to lead his side response

Warriors hunting win against indifferent TKR Pg 23

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, News Hotliine: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Sport: sport@guyanatimesgy.com Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 SALES AND MARKETING - lezas@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.